Acrylate-based adhesives of the type in question are known. Thus, DE 33 20 918 describes a two-component acrylate adhesive in which the first component consists of the following constituents: urethane/acrylate block resin, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, cumene hydroperoxide, 1-acetyl-2-phenyl hydrazine, benzene sulfimide, acrylic acid and chelator. The second component consists of the following constituents: urethane/acrylate block resin, hydroxyethyl methacrylate, copper octoate and a chelator. The two components are mixed in a ratio by volume of 1:1. A stable bond is formed after 20 seconds. The following comments are made on the transition metal accelerator (page 19, lines 16 et seq.): "Transition metal accelerators are preferably a salt or complex of copper, nickel, cobalt or iron. Preferred examples of these accelerators are copper octoate, copper naphthenate, copper ethyl hexanoate and copper acetyl acetonate and others." The disadvantage of this known adhesive is its pungent odor. In addition, although rapid exothermic polymerization is observed, a surface-tacky polymer is obtained, particularly where the adhesive is present as a thin film with a thickness of 0.1 to 0.2 mm. If the adhesive layer is even thinner, the polymerization is inhibited by oxygen.
Accordingly, the problem addressed by the present invention was to provide an adhesive which would not have these disadvantages, i.e. would be substantially odor-free and would cure so completely that its surface at the boundary with the surrounding air would not be tacky.